Exploring health research priority setting in a South African Province: a nominal group technique approach

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Date
2024
Authors
Heunis, Christo
van Jaarsveldt, Deirdre
Chikobvu, Perpetual
Kigozi-Male, Gladys
Litheko, Moroesi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
In August 2022, the Free State Provincial Health Research Committee used the online nominal group technique (NGT) for Health Research Priority Setting (HRPS) for the Free State Department of Health (FSDoH) and the research community, considering various stakeholders’ perspectives. This paper explores and describes the identified health research priorities. It also assesses their alignment with the National Health Research Strategy. Additionally, it provides an opinion on the feasibility of using the online NGT for collaborative co-creation of provincial-level health research priorities. Most of the identified health research priorities resonate with the national health research priorities identified by the National Health Research Committee. However, research to “𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦” was uniquely perceived to be a priority by the participants in the Free State HRPS exercise. A plausible reason for this might be their heightened awareness of the vital role optimal surveillance systems play in coordinating intersectoral responses to pandemics, particularly considering the serious challenges emerging during the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Keywords
Health research priority setting, Online nominal group technique, Free State province
Citation
Heunis, C., van Jaarsveldt, D., Chikobvu, P., Kigozi-Male, G., & Litheko, M. (2024). Exploring health research priority setting in a South African Province: a nominal group technique approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(7), 861. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070861